


Memories from the Heart

by EscapingtheShadow



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Memories, depressed riku as always, he needs to stop hanging around in the dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 12:30:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7892401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EscapingtheShadow/pseuds/EscapingtheShadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Riku revisits the island to recuperate and relax. With so much time alone on the island, he begins to reflect on the major events of his life that brought him here now. Thanks to his friends.</p><p>paired up with seasaltassault on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Memories from the Heart

“Riku! You’re back!”

Riku turned around to greet his neighbor, Selphie. It had been months since he stuck around the islands. Today he decided to take a break from his training and his visits to the mysterious tower. A quiet getaway from all the hectic adventures he’s having could probably help him relax and spend time with his friends and family. Maybe he’ll get to see Sora and Kairi later. It’s been a couple of weeks since he talked to them.

“Yup, I’m back. Probably settle down here for a while.”

“You planning on taking the boat over to the other island?” Selphie asked. 

“Yeah… I thought maybe I could use some alone time but you’re more than welcome to come.”

“I’ll pass, but I’ll walk you over to the boats. Tidus and Wakka should be around there.”

As she thought, the boys were sure by the beach. Wrapped in their ball game.

“Riku! How’s it hanging man?” Wakka greeted his longtime friend. 

“It’s been a while,” Tidus added. 

“Sure has, I miss you guys and all but I’ll catch up with everyone later. I’m gonna go hang out on the main island for a bit.” Riku stated as he picked his favorite wooden boat and prepared it for sail.

“Boo! Eh, it’s cool. But you have to promise to hang with us tonight.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Check this out: tonight there’s gonna a party for some celebration in the middle of town. Everyone on the island is gonna be there. Stop by man, it’d be nice to catch up with everyone there.”

“Cool. Will do, I’ll see you tonight.” Riku waved and took off.

“Later man.” 

He got onto the boat the road himself across to the island that was his paradise. He was relieved to finally make it. He silently rejoiced, now he can have his alone time. He’s been wanting a break to relax from all the hectic travels and training he’s been doing.

The cool breeze flew through his hair. The familiar sea-salt scent brushing past his nostrils. The sound of the tides rising and the trees dancing in the air is a welcoming fanfare to his ears. He is home. Sure he was visited many worlds and seen pleasant sights but he wouldn’t trade his home island for another destination. To think that he wanted to escape this so called prison. 

He noticed two young boys running by the shore, Playing with sword sticks he assumed. Their little fight reminded him of Sora and himself. They were the greatest rivals for each other, always challenging themselves to see who was stronger. Though now they weren’t as feisty, they still loved to challenge one another as they both worked on getting stronger. But those were the simpler days.

  
 _“C’mon! You call that running?” Sora exclaimed running ahead of his friend towards the boat. Riku had enough their play competition and decided to let Sora stay far ahead of him. He didn’t care to be captain tonight anyway. That was when he met the strange man by the shore. Riku had never seen the man around the island before. He might have been from a foreign place. Interesting.  
“Did you come from the outside world?” Riku had never felt so intrigued by Terra’s appearance. He’s probably been to so many other worlds and must’ve have been so strong from the travels and training he’s had. What were the other worlds like? That’s what Riku wanted to know. Maybe if he grew up to be like him he’ll become stronger and get to see other worlds._  
 _He might have not fully understood the potential Terra saw in him or what the keyblade inheritance ceremony was for at the time, but if it was the only way for him to leave his island to see the outside worlds and to gain strength, he’ll commit. It is the best way for him to protect the things that mattered to him._  

  
Riku chuckled has he remembered when he was supposed to keep it as secret. The entire boat ride home was filled with annoying questions Sora kept pressing on him. His dad needed to break up the argument when the boys started butting heads. He’ll probably bring it up to Sora again and not say anything afterward just to piss him off.

Over a decade later, he never would’ve thought he would become a master.

  
_“Riku, I name you our new true Keyblade Master.” What? He couldn’t believe it. Did he seriously just earn the title? He was speechless. He was unsure of how to react as his friends were surrounding him, congratulating him, and picking on Sora._

_But most importantly, he wouldn’t have gotten this far if it weren’t for his friends. The new friends he’s made along the way and the old ones he grew up with. Now he can fully protect all of his friends. He sure hoped that if he ever met the mysterious man again, he’d be proud._

 

He smiles at his gratitude and stares off into the blue horizon. This all wouldn’t have started if he hadn’t left the island that night. That night when the door opened. When he opened the door. 

Riku felt shivers run down his spine and his shoulders tensed up. Why was he feeling this way? He couldn’t help but feel as if he was guilty. Why did he feel this way? Oh, wait. It put the entire island in danger. It was swallowed up by darkness. 

 

_He remembered Sora was freaking out by what was going. All he could think about was getting off the island. Never to return, but to escape to the other worlds._

_He put Sora and Kairi’s lives at risk._

 

But they made it off the island safely. Sora was sent to traverse town and Kairi was resting in Sora’s heart. But her body was missing. The three were unfortunately separated on a journey they longed to have. 

He made a glance back to the shore and noticed that the two boys were gone. The sun was beginning to set. He looked around and saw that no one else was on the beach. He was all alone. The paopu trees ahead were isolated and seemed as if they longed for a visit. He makes his way over. 

But why did he do that? Was greed really taking over him? He can’t exactly remember his main motives that night nor does he want to remember- fearing that it could have been terrible. He entered into the dark cabin. 

“The entire world was engulfed in darkness, just like this room.”   
Riku made it to the top of the cabin. He slowly walked across the bridge to the trees. 

 _This was where I fought Zexion._ In an illusion at least. He was trapped in one of Zexion’s illusions. He felt weak. Namine. He remembered when she appeared in front of him in the form of Kairi. 

 

_“Don’t run from the light, and don’t fear the darkness.”_

_Has he really been doing that? Was he so afraid of the darkness that he would always push it away or let it control him? Don’t fear the darkness. It is his strength. It will make him stronger._

_“Know that the darkness is there and don’t give in. If you do that you will gain strength. The kind that’s like any other.” It’s his most powerful trait. As scary as it seems, he must never turn away from the darkness. He can overcome it and control the power in order to become stronger to find his friends. But he wondered what his friends would think of him. Would they accept him for having such a dangerous power? Luckily he was able to beat Zexion in the light. He no longer was terrified._

 

Riku shook his head after remembering all of that, wanting to get rid of the image. It was almost embarrassing looking back to see that he had such a weak heart. He got to the tree where he and his friends hung out. Still there to hold them. He sat onto the tree and closed his eyes only to feel the wind brush through his hair. Hopefully, the wind will blow away his troubled mind. He was happy earlier. It was all done and forgotten. Why was it bothering him again now?

“Riku?” He jumped as soon as he heard the soft voice interrupt his train of thought. He knew who that soft voice belonged to. “Kairi? What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. I just wanted to get a break from training. I don’t get how you boys are so used to all that hard work. I definitely should start appreciating you two more often.” Kairi walked up next to Riku and jumped on the tree to join him.  

“Yeah you better.” He chuckled. 

“Maybe later.” Riku playfully shoved her almost making her fall off the branch. Kairi giggled and softly kicked her best friend’s leg for almost making her fall on her face. He couldn’t help but admire her. Through the years they have known each other he noticed she always getting stronger. Even through the tough and confusing events, they’ve shared for the past couple years- she still stayed by their side and never gave up on them. Even if she forgot Sora for a while, she was still determined to find her friends. He was proud of her. 

What about him? Based on the mistakes he’s made he was for sure not one to be proud of. Especially by his friends. Then again, he knew they wouldn’t think so lowly of him. He just isn’t someone special.

“Hey, what’s bugging you.” There he goes, lost in his thoughts again. “Is there something on my face? Idiot, you should say something then.” She wiped her face hoping to get rid of whatever was distracting Riku. He shook his head and looked away. He didn’t feel like responding. Hopefully the next few minutes they can watch the sunset silently. 

“What’s got you so quiet?” 

“Aren’t I always labeled as the quiet type?”

“You and I both know you’re not as talkative a Sora is, but you’re not always quiet.”

“I’m just thinking. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

Kairi sighed. “You always do. You had so much to think about for the past two years.”

Riku again did not say a word. It was then that Kairi started to sense what was wrong with Riku, he was disappointed. Most likely at himself. “You’re not a horrible person.”

Riku, wide-eyed, was surprised by her statement. “I never-”

“How many years have I been your friend Riku? Too many to count- but long enough to that look on your face.”  Kairi pointed her index finger at him. 

“I’ve hurt both you and Sora,” Riku stated sadly, voice filled with regret. Kairi smacked the back of his head. Hard. He holds his head, trying to stop the throbbing pain. He gave her a stern frown. “What the heck was that for?”

“Dumbass! You didn’t harm Sora and I. You did nothing wrong.”

“But it was my fault in the mess we got into. If I wasn’t so blinded by greed you wouldn’t have vanished or lost your heart, Sora wouldn’t have the whole responsibility in restoring the island, fight in dangerous battles… loose memories.”

“So what? We all make mistakes. You didn’t know any of this was gonna happen. We all didn’t know.” Riku continued to frown and stare at a rock on the sand. Kairi gave huff and looked across the ocean. It was a gorgeous evening. 

The yellow-orange sky was a soft glow around the setting sun. She smiled at the contrasted sky that surrounded her home. “But you know, you have become stronger. Mentally at least.” She said jokingly.

“I can easily toss you far into the sea.”

“No, I know you can do that, but you’re not the jealous cocky kid you always were. You went through so many obstacles in your life and you’re a lot more protective over us.”

 _To protect the things that matter._  

“I didn’t want you two to see me in darkness,” Riku recalled. 

“We don’t care about what you’ve done. We love you for who you are. And we know you love us back. All that strength you have for us proves it.”

 

_He’s reflecting on his past. He definitely has changed personality wise. He’s grown stronger and wiser. He has become more protective of his friends and beliefs. He’s learned to make sacrifices in order to protect the things that matter. Like he’s always wanted to, but as a kid, he didn’t understand how hard it was gonna be. He remembers the last battle with Xemnas He almost sacrificed his entire being in order to save Sora from Xemnas’s fatal attacks._

_It frightened him to see Sora near defeat as he was being held captive in Xemnas’s dark hold. Luckily, he was able to make it just in time to save Sora. Despite their rivalry in the friendship, they do make a great team. Fighting alongside Sora was even more exhilarating than going head to head against each other. It was a hefty challenge, but together they defeated Xemnas. Together they returned to the islands finally reuniting the group._

 

Riku chuckled when he remembered after the fight he tried to stand on his own, proving to Sora he was fine. They needed each other, however. He was proud to be his friend. He wouldn’t have had this much experience in his life if it weren’t for Sora. 

“Boo!” His thoughts broke as he felt a rough push come from behind. It didn’t phase him. He knew exactly who it was and his friend never did a good job of scaring people.

“Hey, Sora.” Kairi greeted. 

“Aww didn’t you guys jump a little?” Sora pouted.

“Course not! Who do you think you’re trying to fool?” Riku replied. 

Sora laughed as he joined the duo on the tree. “I guess nothing scares him now huh.”

“No, you’re just terrible,” Kairi noted. 

“Shut up. So whatcha guys doing here without me? How come I didn’t get the invite?”

“You caught us. Sorry Kairi, we gotta stop now that Sora’s here.”  
“Stop what?”

Kairi played along. “Dang it Sora you had to be here.”

“What did I do? Come on, tell me what’s going on!” Sora grew upset, unaware of the joke both Kairi and Riku were pulling on him. Gosh, sometimes Sora acts like a naive kid. They laughed at his behavior, Riku the loudest. After many years the one thing that hasn’t changed about Sora is how gullible he can be. 

“Sometimes when I look at you I think, ‘somewhere out there, there is a world who is missing an idiot.’”

“Oh quit it,” Sora punched Riku, “Now you’re just making fun of me.”  
“Glad you could catch on.”

The reunited trio chatted for a few minutes, catching up on what they have been doing since their last meeting at the islands. Sora still couldn’t get over the fact that Kairi can wield a keyblade. She and Sora had a tiny argument about Kairi’s safety thanks to Sora’s anxiety over her possibly greatly injuring herself one day. “Don’t expect me and Donald to step in and heal you all the time. Trust me, you don’t.”

“I was never planning on it. I can take care of myself.”

Riku didn’t really care about the convo they were having. Amused by Sora’s nature, he did have to agree with Kairi. Although he is concerned for her he knows that Kairi is a smart girl and can take care of herself. If anything were to happen he would figure it out in a heartbeat. 

He deeply cared for his ignorant friends. He’ll never understand how these two still put up with him. 

“Hey Sora, can you please explain to Riku that he is not a horrible person.”  
“What?” Riku injected. 

“Why? What did Riku do?”

“Nothing! He thinks that all of the amazing adventures we’ve had was all his fault.”

Sora studied his companion. He can already tell that he is still feeling some regret from the past. He knew Riku was never the fault. No one had any clue about the worlds beyond them.

“Shheez, you really have been in darkness too long.”

Riku sighed. “I just don’t want to cause any more trouble to you two.”

“Riku, if anything we should thank you.” He gave a puzzled look. “You did all you could to protect us and to bring us back to the island. Being separated from each other was awful, but we finally got to explore other worlds. We never would’ve had that chance make our dreams come true. We’ve seen cool discoveries and learned secrets no one else knows about. We even got to meet new friends along the way. If anything I think our journey made our connection stronger.”

Riku remained silent. 

Kairi grinned. “You were never ‘evil’. Darkness isn’t evil, it’s based on how you use it. You just let it control you because you were scared. We know that you’ll never use darkness for evil. Not if it meant hurting us. Deep down we’ll always be in your heart. No matter how many miles we are from each other, we’ll always be close in our hearts.”

“What she said.” Sora pointed. “You’re important Riku.”

Riku smiled and nodded his head to thank them. Looking back at, he should still be proud of himself for things he’s accomplished. He shouldn’t have let his regrets bother him. 

He is grateful for all of his friends for supporting him by his side but more importantly he is very lucky to have Sora and Kairi in his life. They were his main inspiration. His rock. He is thrilled that they get to be a part of his old and new memories. He no longer doubted that the trio will ever separate. If they were worlds away, their hearts will guide their way back to each other. 

“Geez Riku, I don’t get how you pass the mastery exam if you could barely trust yourself.” Sora joked. 

“Shut up Sora.” Riku shoved him off. Kairi laughed at Sora’s misery as he attempts to reach back up onto the tree. Riku laughed along with Kairi and jumped off the tree to help Sora up. He offered a helping hand to him and Sora took it firmly. He felt his side get engulfed by Kairi’s body. She was hugging him reassuringly. He was shocked by her sudden action as well as Sora’s when he hugged both of them. He didn’t know what to do but his instinct told him to return the love. He wraps his arms around their shoulders bringing them closer. 

It’s been awhile since he was held by the ones he cared for and in turn cared for him. It was an awkward moment, yet he appreciated it. 

“It’s getting late, we should head back home and meet up with the rest at the party.” The redhead stated. Sora abruptly pulled out and got in his challenge stance. “First one to the boat gets to be captain.” With that, Sora takes off bolting across the bridge towards the shack. Riku and Kairi shared a glance and ran after Sora. 

“No way Sora’s winning!” Kairi yelled as they finally caught up with him.  
“There can only be one captain, so give up now!” Riku and Sora were now tied in for first and were giving it their all. Moments likes these are the memories Riku will never forget with his best friends. Destiny has sure kept them together.

 He’ll continue to look forward to the future and see what new adventures he’ll face along side with his partners in crime. No more worries. No more regrets. They trust in each other to make the best memories of the dreams that can come true. Remembering is easier than sitting around and wishing on a dream that hasn’t happened yet. Right now, these are the most important moments of their lives. Riku is already proud of his future accomplishments. 

_Thank you, Sora and Kairi. Thank you for being my best friends._

  
“No seriously what were you and Kairi doing earlier?”


End file.
